The Snake and the Lioness
by Regina the Queen of Random
Summary: It is not in a snake's nature to be kind. But is it in his nature to love?


**Regina, the Queen of Random: **Hello there. You probably don't know me, but I am Regina, the Queen of Random. I would like to bestow upon you the first chapter of my second Harry Potter story (the first being 'Harry Potter and the Casket of Souls') and my very first Draco/Hermione story. I hope that you enjoy this little introduction, and review it.

As with every fanfic that I write, I do not claim ownership of any of the characters featured in this story. They are the property of J.K. Rowling. If I did own them, I would be spending my squillions on a whole bunch of stuff that I do not need.

Anyway, please read, review, and (hopefully) enjoy. And if you enjoyed this one, be sure to take a look at 'Harry Potter and the Casket of Souls', and let me know what you think. Thank you.

**The Snake and the Lioness**

_Chapter One: The Lioness_

It is not in a snake's nature to be kind.

He is, in fact, cold and ruthless, only wanting to further his own ends. His heart is as cold as ice - as is his blood - and he has no regard for the feelings and welfare of others.

In a word, he is heartless.

There is a snake in my life. He is cold and calculating, and he takes pleasure in the misfortunes of others. Although he is human in form, the heart that beats within his chest is that of a snake - if you believe that he even has a heart.

The snake in my life is Draco Malfoy.

He is the son of one Lucius Malfoy, a wizard who has instilled in his son all of the virtues considered worthy of those of pure wizarding blood like him and Draco. To them, I am the lowest of the low, and too far beneath them to even contemplate, all because I was born to two Muggle parents, and raised in the Muggle world.

I stand for everything they hate, and I hate them for that in return.

But while I, fortunately, have very little contact with Lucius, I am afflicted with the daily presence of Draco, and am forced to bear the weight of his never-ending hatred.

But the hatred he has for me is also extended to my two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. The three of us are the targets of all pureblood wizards who possess an extreme dislike for those who are Muggle-born. In essence, this means the entire Slytherin house, with Draco at the head of such attacks.

And because of all of this, my life is divided in two: one half completely devoted to my studies and friends, and the other half. . . I do not know.

All I do know is that nothing is as simple as it looks.

XXX

Draco takes pleasure in trying to prove how low and worthless I am, and he and I are always competing when it comes to our marks. It has been that way since the beginning of our time here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and it is a battle that occurs every day within the confines of the classroom. 

And on occasion, out in the halls as well.

Although I do not condone such behaviour, I must admit that I am guilty of taking part in such incidents.

Such as this one.

"_Diffindo!_"

I stopped suddenly outside Transfiguration. Harry and Ron stopped as well. All three of us knew what that spell could do, and who had cast it.

I went to kneel down to pick up the books that had tumbled out when my bag had split. The split had been caused by the spell Draco had cast. He still had his wand pointed at me, a smirk on his face. I could only assume that this was his way of getting me back for showing him up - yet again - in Transfiguration.

"Don't, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron added. "Let him pick them up."

"No," I told him, reaching for a book. "I'll get it. Don't bother."

"Here, Granger," Draco said, "let me help you with that. _Accio book_!"

The book, which was just centimeters away from my fingers, shot up into the air, flying towards Draco. He caught it with ease, and shot me another smirk.

"Give that back," I ordered him.

He looked at the book, then back at me. "I'm sorry. Did you want this?" He held the book out towards me. The look in his eyes told me that he was enjoying this.

"Yes, I did," I replied. "Now give it back."

"Sorry, Granger. I just can't do that." He tossed the book over to one of his cronies, Gregory Goyle. Goyle looked at the book blankly for a moment, then, getting it, grinned at me.

Ron drew his wand. "Don't make me hurt you, Malfoy!" he warned.

"Ron, don't," I said.

But Draco did not seem too worried about all of this. Instead, he laughed. "Look, Granger! Your boyfriend's coming to the rescue! Isn't that sweet?" he asked the Slytherins who were with him, and they all laughed with him.

I had had enough. Before Draco could react, and Harry and Ron could stop me, I had drawn my wand.

"_Pet_-"

"Miss Granger! Mr Malfoy!"

I froze for a moment, and so did Draco. Then I turned around.

To face a livid Professor McGonagall.

"What do you think you are doing? You know that there is to be no magic used in the halls."

"Yes, Professor," I said quietly, looking down.

"Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this, and you will receive detention. The same goes for Mr Malfoy," McGonagall said sternly, looking at the two of us over the rims of her glasses.

"But, Professor!" began Ron. "It was Malfoy! He started it! Hermione was-"

"One more word out of you, Mr Weasley," McGonagall said sternly, "and you will be joining Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy in detention."

Ron fell silent.

"Now all of you, go to your next class. I will see the two of you later about your detentions."

All of us scattered.

XXX

"That's so unfair," Ron told me later that evening. "It was Malfoy who started it."

"I know," I replied.

"So what is she making the two of you do tomorrow night?" asked Harry.

"We're helping Madam Pince in the library," I replied glumly.

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Ron.

"Peeves has just been through it, and there are over a thousand books to be examined, repaired, sorted, and shelved."

Ron winced. "Ouch. And the worst thing is that you have to do all of that with Malfoy."

"Don't remind me."

"You could always try and talk to McGonagall about it," Harry suggested. "Maybe if you explain it, she might change her mind."

I shot him a look. "And what McGonagall have you known for the past five years?"

"It was only a suggestion."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Ron told me, patting me on the shoulder in an attempt to reassure me. "Malfoy is just a stupid git."

"Is that all?" I asked him. "Because I already knew that."

"Right. You're right, Hermione."

"Now if you two will excuse me, I am going to go to bed. I will need all the sleep I can get if I am to deal with Malfoy and the books tomorrow night."

"All right then," said Harry. "Good night."

"Yeah, Hermione. Good night."

"Good night," I told the two of them. "See you in the morning."

From there I headed up to the girls' dormitory, where I hoped that I would be able to seek some solitude to examine the day's events.

Something about what had happened bothered me, the exact reason I did not know.

I hoped that by morning I would know the underlying causes for what had happened.

But that did not happen. Instead, I fell upon my bed, and slipped straight away into the darkness and solitude of a dreamless slumber.


End file.
